One Pastel De Nata Recipe

Prepare and line tin

Preheat oven to 250°C (480°F) — very hot. Lightly flour your work surface (using the 1 tsp flour). Unfold or roll the thawed puff pastry sheet to remove creases, then cut a 10–12 cm square from the center. Roll the square into a tight cylinder (about 10 cm tall), seam down, and cut into 1.5–2 cm thick discs. Place each disc, seam-side down, into a generously buttered or nonstick 1-cup (individual tart) muffin or tart tin well and use your thumb to press and roll the dough outwards and up the sides to form a shell about 2–3 mm thick and with a bottom. Chill in refrigerator for 10 minutes while making custard.

Alternative (use ready shells)

If using ready-made mini tart shells, skip disc-rolling and simply brush the inside lightly with melted butter, then chill briefly before filling.

Make a slurry

In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch (6 g) with 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of the milk taken from the measured milk to form a smooth slurry with no lumps.

Heat milk and cream

In a small saucepan, combine the remaining milk (approximately 90 ml), the heavy cream (30 ml), and the granulated sugar (45 g). Warm over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves and the mixture is just below simmering (steam and very small bubbles at the edge). Remove from heat before it boils.

Temper yolks

In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks (2) with the cornstarch–milk slurry and a pinch of salt until smooth and slightly thickened. Slowly pour about 2–3 tablespoons of the hot milk mixture into the yolk mixture while whisking constantly to temper the yolks and prevent scrambling.

Cook custard

Pour the tempered yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining hot milk and return to medium-low heat. Stir constantly with a silicone spatula or whisk, cooking until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon — about 1–2 minutes after it returns to gentle simmer. Do not boil. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract (1 tsp) and optional lemon zest (0.25 tsp). Let cool for 5 minutes.

Strain and portion

For an extra-smooth traditional texture, strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any bits. Cover with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface to prevent skin from forming and cool until lukewarm (about 10 minutes). The custard should still be pourable but not hot.

Fill shells

Reduce oven temperature to 260°C (500°F) if your oven reaches it; otherwise keep at 250°C (480°F). Remove pastry shells from refrigerator. Fill each shell about 3/4 full (the custard will rise slightly); for one pastel de nata use approximately 60–70 ml of custard (adjust to fit your single shell). Smooth the tops gently.

Bake

Bake in the preheated very-hot oven on the center rack for 8–12 minutes, watching carefully. The custard should blister and develop dark brown/black spots on top while the pastry becomes deeply golden and crisp. Rotate the tray once if your oven has hot spots. For the classic mottled top, place the tart briefly under a very hot broiler/grill for 30–60 seconds at the end — watch constantly to avoid burning.

Finish

Remove the pastel from the tin and place on a wire rack. Lightly brush the exposed puff pastry edges with melted butter (5 ml) for shine and flavor. Optionally dust the custard surface with a small pinch (about 1/4 tsp) of powdered cinnamon or cocoa. Let cool for 5 minutes; the custard should set but remain creamy.